Game



March 31. 1925. 1,531,413

L. A. PRIESS GAME ' Filed June 24, 1924 Lou/5 H. PR/Ess Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES PAT 1,531,413 Eur 'QFEEQE. V

LOUIS a. PRIESS, on rimnnroms, MINNESOTA.

GAME.

Application filed June 24, 1924. Serial No. 722,027.

To (ZZZ whom, c't may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS A. Prunes, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain.

and match their wits and skill, the degree of skill and resourcefulness required being limited only by the exactness and limitations of the rules which are adopted and agreed upon before the playing of each game is commenced. For purpose of illustration and explanation it is assumed that the gameis to be played by only two persons. It is to be understood, however, that arrangements may be made whereby more than two persons may play in one game.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is illustrated the device embodying the invention Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a device.

showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2+2 in F 1.

Fig. 3 IS an enlarged detail section as seen on the dotted line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, but showing certain modifications, later-to be described.

Referring to the drawing more particularly and by reference characters, designates a base, near one corner of which is detachably secured, as by a nut 26, a rod or standard 27 having a thumb nut 28 at its upper end. Rotatably secured upon the standard 27 is a series of horizontal playing pieces of various lengths, which. pieces will. hereafter be referred to by the charactors which they respectively carry, for playing purposes, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each piece is longer than the piece immediately above it, so that when arranged in a vertical column, all the piece designating characters may easily be read. The playing pieces are spaced apart, for convenience in manipulation, by a series of intermediate washers or spacers 29, which have hexagonal apertures through which the standard 27, which is also hexagonal in cross section (see Fig. 3), extends, so that the spacers cannot rotate ;onthe rod when the playing pieces areturned. This also prevents all the playing pieces from turning except the one which is manually and independently beingplayed or turned. The

hexagonal portion of the rod-extends into the'base so that the rod cannot be rotated when. the. playing pieces. are turned, and the spacers are preferably made {of a composition material so that by turn ng the nut 28 the frictional resistance to the turn ing of the playing pieces may be regulated.

In Fig. 1 the. playing pieces are numbered from 1 to 12,'consecutively, whilein Fig. at the playing pieces are lettered and a greater number of all of the more commonly used letters of the alphabet may be utilized. In Fig. 4-, also, a sector shapedbase is shown. ,The mechanical features of both devices, however, are essentially the same.

As previously indicated the game may be '7 played in a large number of dilferent ways, depending entirely upon what predetermined set of rules or directions are to be followed. For purpose of illustrati0n, hoW- ever, a comparatively simple set of rules will be followed out in describing the playing method on the device shown in Fig. .1, the players being referred to as X and'Z, who play to oppositesides of the board;

The pieces 1 to -12, inclusive, are first placed in vertical or columnalignment, the device being. arranged between the two players. In the present instance the number to be played for is 23', as indicated, although any other suitable number may be agreed upon and used, or the two players may use different numbers.

The players play alternately, a play consisting of moving one of the'pieces from the central column to the'players column or from each of the respective players column back to the central. column. The primary objectof each player is to secure to himself any of the numbers the total of which will be 23. In attem iiting to do this, however, he must carefully watch the opposing play ers column so that he can prevent the desired total in that column. Thus, as the game stands in Fig. 1, assuming that it is Zs play, :Z needs 7 to make his total 23, but 7 is not available, except as 5 plus 2, as Y has the 7 piece. Instead of drawing either the 5 or the 2, however, will, if he is obs ag en ugh. d aw the 1 Piece pieces is employed so that.

on I

stead, because he does not do so then Y will do so in his succeeding play and thus 7 will win the game (or round), as 1 is all he needs to complete the'total of 23. Taking the game a step further, if piece (as he should) it will give him a total of 17. Y will now probably return his 7 piece in the hope that he can win by a dif terent series. Assuming that he does so it would then be advisable for Z to'take'the 7,.gi-ving him'a total of 2 4, but as he already has the 1 piece .he can return it 011 his next play, which will leave him the desired total and he wins the game or round, and is credited accordingly.

In playing the game as shown 111 Fig. .4, ituis the object of each player to draw letters 7 which will form a word, or to draw letters Supposing,

letters '1,-A,- I and N, (and the rules under the players which will prevent his opponent from first forming a difl'erent word. In this casethe particular word which each player is attempti'ngto complete will be unknown to the other player until the word has been completed. As the game is here shown Z- has won, his

however, that Z had only the which-the playersproceedeall for any word of five letters). 1f it is then Ys play he might assume that Zs objective was the word Stain. He would therefore prevent this from being accomplished by drawing the S himself, but might overlook the T,' which Z could thendraw to complete t.1e

word Traim-as shown. The rules might give Z two points to his credit as he has built a word in which the letters'areconsecutively arranged, while it Z had not won by this move-and on the succeeding move Y had drawn the E, he might'be credited'with one point as his letters, thoughjnot consecutively arranged, "would spell the word House. As become familiar with the game Zdoes draw the 1 letters spelling out the word Train.

it can be made more diflicult and interesting by restricting the words to be completed to siX seven or eight letters, or by limiting the words permissible-to be used to nouns, verbs,

animals, plants, names out cities, States, etc.,

or by placing limitations on the sequence or arrangement of letters.

It isunder-stood that Suitable modifications may be made in the general design and structural arrangement of the game, as herein disclosed, provided, however, that such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully shown anddescribed my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A game consisting of a base, a standard secured with its lower end therein, a series of playing pieces-pivotally secured'in spaced relation upon the standard, said pieces each having an identifying character,- andadjustable means for, frictionally resisting the playing pieces from swinging movement outer ends.

3.- In a game, :a series of playingpieces arranged in a normal column and having.

unit character's arranged thereon, saidchara'cters being exposed and-said playing pieces being movable with respect to the normal "column to a players column, whereby the playefls'column may be composed of pieces having characters the total of whichare to form a predetermined composite-character.

lntestimony-whereof I afiixmy signature. I

Lonrs A. Per-n ss. 

